Caroline
by VT Arkens
Summary: SPOILER ALERT! As Chell tries her hardest to escape Old Aperture, GLaDOS has a recollection. But what exactly is going on in that potato? And who is Caroline, really?
1. Prologue

Humming to herself, she hung from the ceiling of her chamber, just like she'd done her entire existance. GLaDOS's humming would occasionaly progress into short phrases, unknown to her where they came from. For years, she had done just this, every so often building a new testing element. But by now she was out of ideas. She was so bored (_Apparently, they programmed the ability to feel bordom into me. Thanks for that._) that she had even programmed a large group of turrets to sing, though she hadn't chosen a song yet.

_I need to test._ She thought. _But it has to be... different than usual._ She considered going to the end of the subject list, catch them off-guard, but much to her frustration, her programming didn't allow it. _Okay, fine. Subject number one, then._ She checked the database to see which stupid human would die today.

First name: Chell Surname: [REDACTED]

For reasons unknown to her, GLaDOS imideatly loathed this Chell. _I'm the most massive collection of wisdom that's ever existed and I hate you. It can't be for no reason. You must deserve it. Alright. Get ready, Chell. Get ready for the worst time of your short, sad life._

Of course, things didn't go as GLaDOS had planned. She'd been killed by the very person she'd hated so much. And just when she'd been re-awakened (Once again, Chell had done this), it had come to this. _I just _had_ to try to kill her. Now look at me. I'm running on 1.6 volts, I'm stuck on a portal gun, my facility is going to explode, I'm in a potato, birds are after me, and-_

Suddenly, a familiar voice boomed over the intercom. _That man, Johnson. And Caroline..._ Eventualy, she couldn't keep her speculations to herself anymore. "Caroline, Caroline, why do I know this woman? Did I kill her? Or- Oh my God... Look, you're... doing a great job. Can you handle things for yourself for a while? I need to think."

She fell silent as the shock of her new knowlage settled in. _Of course... Caroline..._


	2. Chapter 1: Interview

Despite the silence, the waiting room was overflowing with people, all with the same goal: to get this job. Each contender's appearance was different, from a tall man with a leather jacket to a girl with braids and extra-thick glasses. There was such a variety that one could easily overlook the young woman sitting in a chair in the corner.

She didn't look special, just another loner trying to make ends meet. She'd gotten to Aperture Science Innovations hours before anyone else, showing her enthusiasm for science. Now, she sat in her folding chair (they had filled up quickly), filling out the odd questionnaire she'd been presented with.

143: What is your current living situation?

**a. Live Alone**

b. Live With Roommate(s)

c. Live With Kids

d. Live With Parents

144: Please choose the description that best describes your personality:

a. Childish f. Reserved

b. Stable **g. Modest**

c. Oaﬁsh h. Scornful

d. Stolid i. Boastful

e. Timid j. Sleepy

145: If you disappeared tomorrow would anyone miss you?

Yes ** No**

Please acknowledge before submitting your application:

"I understand that my responses to all items in this questionnaire are the property of Aperture Science Innovations. As such, they will remain strictly conﬁdential, though they may be used to distribute prizes and/or initiate, prolong, or modify the invasive properties of authorized questioning, investigation, testing, and surveillance."

**I have read all or most of the above.**

"Number 125. Caroline Ri- Rilu- Rilutdivene." A man in a white lab coat fumbled with the strange last name as he looked at his clipboard, then back up at the waiting room. Caroline stood up, as his eyes locked to hers. "Right this way, miss."

_Just keep smiling._ She thought. _You can do this. _As they walked through endless corridors, the silence soon became unbearable. "So..." The man said, trying his best to think of a way to continue. "Caroline. That's a nice name."

"Thank you, Doctor..."

"Just call me Michael."

She smiled. "Well then, thank you Michael." The man nervously tucked a piece of his blonde hair behind his glasses. "So, what's he like?"

"Mr. Johnson? Oh, he's great. A bit of a nut-job sometimes, but you have to love the guy." The duo laughed as Michael showed her to a door. "This is it. Good luck. You'll do great." Caroline smiled at her new acquaintance and entered the office.

The man behind the wooden desk grinned at her as she turned to face him. "I think Anderson likes you. Three years, the guy's worked for me and he's barely said two words to me. And here you are, getting him to chat like you're old buddies. I've never seen anything like it. It's a pleasure to meet you, Caroline."

They shook hands. "The pleasure's all mine, Mr. Johnson."

He laughed. "Why don't you have a seat and we'll get down to business." She did. "So, tell me a little bit about yourself."

Caroline briefly thought her words over. She hated talking about herself, but she hated defying people even more. "Well, I was born in Italy."

"That would explain the last name." They laughed. "So you speak Italian, then?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent. Anyway, go on. I won't interrupt anymore."

"Oh, it's alright. I moved here when I was six, and that's pretty much my whole life."

Mr. Johnson flipped through the large stack of papers in his hand. "And what were your grades like as a student?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

He looked up her. "'Nothing out of the ordinary'? Are you kidding me? I have a file here that suggests that if I'm not careful, you could end up taking over the whole damn facility!" More laughs filled the air as Mr. Johnson looked at another paper on his desk and read from it. "What are your weak points when it comes to the workplace?"

Caroline's eyes shifted upwards as she considered her answer. "I can't stand to see people get hurt. I know that could pose as a problem, but for science, I suppose I could work through it. After all, science isn't about 'why'. It's about 'why not'." She smiled. She'd always wanted to say that.

"Good answer. Alright, In what ways do you think you- you know what? I don't need a stupid cheat-sheet to tell me what to ask in _my_ interview! I pay the bills here, I can ask whatever questions I damn well want!" He crumpled up the paper and threw it into trash can across the room as he smiled at her again. "Let me ask you a serious question now. How far would you go to make science progress?"

"However far it takes." At first, Caroline was afraid that she'd been too vague, but it seemed that her four-word answer was sufficient.

"I like your style, Caroline. You're not afraid to make your own rules, and I can see that your dedication to science is a hell of a lot greater than anyone else I've talked to. And as much as I'd like to just quit while I'm ahead, I have to let you go so I can interview the rest of those morons in my lobby." Caroline and Mr. Johnson shook hands again and said their goodbyes. Just as she reached for the doorknob, he addressed her once more.

"Oh, and Caroline," She looked back to see him smiling. "Expect a call from us very soon."

"Thank you, sir."

As Michael showed her back to the waiting room, they discussed how the interview had gone. "Well, I hope you get the job. I'm sure you will. The rest of the people here don't know the difference between a carbon atom and the name Adam." Michael made sure to say this quietly, as not to insult the other candidates, but their laughter couldn't be controlled so easily. They parted ways, each hoping to see the other again.

The following Saturday, Caroline sat at home, humming the Italian melody her mother had sung to her as a child. When the phone rang, she didn't waist any time getting to it. "Hello?"

"Caroline? Cave Johnson here. Welcome to Aperture."


	3. Chapter 2: PreRecorded

"You ready?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Johnson."

The CEO and his new secretary stood in his office, each with a few papers in their hands. Although she'd been working at Aperture for a while now, this was Caroline's first major assignment.

"Then just wait for your line. This'll be good." Mr. Johnson was beaming. He his the record button and began speaking.

"Welcome gentlemen, to Aperture Science! Astronauts, war heroes, Olympians, you're here because we want the best, and you are it! So, who's ready to make some science?"

Caroline took the microphone. "I am!" Mr. Johnson laughed and continued.

"Now, you already met one-another on the limo ride over here, so let me introduce myself. I'm Cave Johnson. I own the place. That eager voice you heard is the lovely Caroline, my assistant. Rest assured she has transferred your honorarium to the charitable organization of your choice. Isn't that right, Caroline?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Johnson!" She tried her best to hide just how flattered she was at his compliments. Of course, she had no idea that he was no where near done yet.

"She's the backbone of this facility. Pretty as a postcard, too. Sorry, fellas. She's married- to Science!" He looked over at her and stopped the recording. By now, Caroline was blushing beyond control. They continued recording for hours, describing what their goal was and what the tests consisted of.

"Alright, let's get started! This first test involves something the lab boys call 'repulsion gel'. You're not part of the Control Group, by the way. You get the gel. Last poor son of a gun got blue paint!" Mr. Johnson gave a nervous laugh. "All joking aside, that did happen. Broke every bone in his legs. Tragic, but informative! Or, so I'm told." After this was said, a man came in and whispered something. Mr. Johnson promptly picked up the microphone.

"The lab boys just informed me that I should _not_ have mentioned the Control Group. They're telling me I ought to stop making these pre-recorded messages. That gave me an idea: make more pre-recorded messages! I pay the bills here, I can talk about the Control Group all damn day!" He and Caroline laughed for minutes on end. After another half an hour, a different man entered the room, he too wearing a white lab coat.

"S- sir," He stuttered. "I- I feel that you should mention this." The scientist pulled at his sleeve anxiously as he handed his boss a sheet of paper. "After what happened, and all..." Caroline could see the fear and pain in his eyes, seemingly the result of a private tragedy. There was so much so, that she was temped to take him into a supportive embrace and tell him that it was going to be alright.

Mr. Johnson put a hand on his shoulder. "I know how you feel about this stuff, Doug. I swear I won't let anything like that happen to anyone again." Doug gave a weak smile and left, leaving Caroline with more questions than answers. Before she could ask, the man was already talking. "Oh, in case you got covered in that repulsion gel, here's some advice the lab boys gave me: do _not_ get covered in the repulsion gel. We haven't entirely nailed down what element it is yet, but I'll tell you this: it's a lively one, and it does not like the human skeleton."

A few moments of silence passed as Caroline tried her best to wrap her head around what had just been said. "Sir, who was that?"

Mr. Johnson looked up. "My nephew, Doug Rattmann. His daughter, Breanna, had an... accident, involving the gel. He's never quite been the same since then."

"Is she alright?" She asked, worried.

Mr. Johnson shook his head in sorrow. "For now. She's not going to live to see her seventeenth birthday. And Doug, he's a schizophrenic anyway. Knowing that you kid's going to die doesn't likely help anyone's sanity."

Caroline was at a loss for words, but even if she did know what to say, it wouldn't have been able to come out of her stunned mouth. _That poor man... And the child..._

Mr. Johnson, sensing her concern, stood up and gave her a friendly hug, which melted away her fears. "Let's go up to the break room. We can finish the messages later."

Caroline sat at the table alone, awaiting Mr. Johnson's return from his coffee run. Despite her desperate attempts, her mind couldn't discard the story she'd heard. Her distraction was a familiar voice from behind her.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Italy! How's the new job treating you?"

She grinned at the newcomer. "Very well, Michael, thank you. And how have you been?"

"Better since I've seen you."

"Ah, Anderson!" Michael looked up to see Mr. Johnson walking in, a cup of coffee in each hand. He set one down in front of Caroline and took a sip of the one for himself. "Have you got those blueprints for me?"

Michael pulled them out of the pocket of his lab coat. "Yes, sir." Although he never talked to anyone more than he had to, there was just something about Caroline that made him open up to her. Mr. Johnson did not have that effect.

"Good. Thanks." He studied the blueprints intently and set them on the table. The three of them discussed the prints for a while. They were of a device called a gravity gun. (Which, at a later date, would be stolen by a certain rival facility.)

A few hours later, Caroline entered the office. "Mr. Johnson, Dr. Penning is here."

"Send him in." She did and stood by the door, still inside the room, just in case.

"So, Penning, what seems to be the problem?"

The scientist shifted in his seat. "I need to make a request. We've had so many casualties these past few years, it's impossible to count."

"And you want to know why it has to be like that, don't you?"

"Well, yes."

Mr. Johnson leaned forward on his cluttered desk. "Science isn't about 'why'! It's about 'why not'!" He smiled up at Caroline, letting her know that he hadn't forgotten where the saying had come from. "Why is so much of our science dangerous? Why not marry safe science if you love it so much? In fact, why not invent a special safety door that won't hit on on the butt on the way out, because you are fired!" It was then he looked up at Caroline, who had been motioning to the button on his desk. It turned on the recording device, and he was leaning on it. He quickly covered his mistake. "Not you, test subject. You're doing fine." Penning mouthed the word "Me?" "Yes, you! Box your stuff! Out the front door! Parking lot! Car! Goodbye!" Once the former employee was gone, Mr. Johnson and Caroline began to laugh at the error. Each was thinking the same thing: _I love my job._

* * *

><p>If you'd like to read more about the events regarding Doug and his daughter, please read my story <span>The Shizophrenic's Daughter<span>.


	4. Chapter 3: Love

As time passed, so did the worry in Caroline's mind. By now, her job was almost stress free. On one particular afternoon, she peeked into the break room to see someone she'd met breifly only once before.

He had something small in the palm of his left hand (Caroline couldn't tell what it was) and a glass of water on the counter to his right. Although he had his back to her, Caroline could almost feel the loneliness radiating off of him. Suddenly, he looked sharply to his right as if he'd heard something. He had a look on his face that could only be described as raw terror. As he did this, whatever had been in his hand fell to the floor as he muttered an aggrevated "Dammit".

Caroline entered and picked up the small pill from the ground. "Here." She smiled and handed it to him.

"Thanks." He didn't waste any time popping the medication into his mouth and washing them down with a sip of water. He gave a kurt nod in farewell and began to leave when Caroline called him back.

"You don't have to be ashamed, Dr. Rattmann." Doug slowly turned his head back at her. He looked as if it were him against the world, and the world was winning.

He shook his head. "No one understands. It's so hard. Th- the voices, they tell me I'm not worth it, that I should die." He put his hands on his head as Caroline led the frail man to a chair and sat him down. "Everyone pretends to be my friend, but I hear what they say when they think I'm not around. As if I chose to be like this..."

Caroline tenderly took his hand. "I know how you feel. In school, everyone told me that I was in their group, but the moment I turned my back, it was nothing but negativity. To them, someone isn't considered worth their time if they're good at science."

"My daughter has trouble finding friends for the same reason. Now that I think about it, I don't think she's ever visited anyone's house that isn't family. Kids are always telling her how useless she is, but honestly, and I'm not saying this just because I'm her father, she's a genious! She did a report on Artificial Intelegence when she was five years old." Caroline openly expressed her amazment at this fact, saying that she must have gotten her father's enthusiasm for science. He laughed and thanked her. "When my fiancée died, I almost had to quit to be able to take care of my girl, but I was allowed to bring her with me. That's why Uncle Johnson-" Doug stopped mid-sentence. "I shouldn't have said that."

Caroline was just about to ask why he was so reluctant to mention it when a third person entered the room, whom both she and Doug noticed. Michael and Doug stared at each other for a few long moments until Doug excused himself, appologized for cursing in front of a woman, and hurried out. Michael took the seat next to Caroline when he was gone. "What was that?" She asked.

He thought his words over very carefuly before he said them "Dr. Rattmann and I have had some... issues... in the past." Caroline bothered him to no end until he would explain. "Well, he doesn't like anyone to know this, but he's Mr. Johnson's nephew. Besides the two of them, we may be the only people who know. One day, he got a major promotion, that's how he got to the position he's in now. But that was supposed to be _my_ promotion! Yeah, I ended up higher up anyway, but that doesn't change it. He gets whatever he wants, just because of his family ties.

"Of course, I was furious, and I just happened to be put in charge of looking after his daughter that day. I was giving her a tour of the facility. The repulsion gel hadn't been tested for safety issues yet..."

Caroline cut him off, though she didn't have much to say. "It was you."

"Caroline, listen to me-"

"No!" She stood up from her chair abruptly. "Do you know how much pain you've caused his family? That little girl is going to die because of you! And for what, a stupid pay-raise?"

Now it was Michael's turn to explode. "Let me finish!" She did. "I was walking along with her when I noticed that one of the supports for a container of the gel was loose and told her to move out of the way, but she must not have heard me. I tried everything to keep it steady, but it fell, and I paniced. It was terrible."

Caroline began to walk out, disgusted by what she had just heard as Michael called after her. "Caroline, don't leave! Caroline! Dammit, Caroline, I love you!" She froze, but was still too enraged to think straight, so she left the broken man to himself.

From the moment she returned to Mr. Johnson's office, he could see that something was very wrong, though she refused to talk about it no matter how much he asked. He soon decided that there was only one thing he could do, and hoped that it would, in fact, help.

He took the beautiful woman in his arms, the sweet smell of her perfume relaxing his nerves. As she returned the embrace, her problems seemed to dissapear. This was all either of them ever wanted. Sencing that the moment was right, he kissed her forehead, as timid as a little child.

Caroline managed to utter a few words in her state of astonishment. "Mr. Johnson..."

He shushed her. "Please, that's much too formal for us. Call me Cave."

"Cave..." She looked up at the love she'd kept a secret until now. "We can't let anyone know about this, for the sake of the company." She prayed that he would comply, and her relief showed when he smiled at her.

"I couldn't agree more."

And then they kissed, all of their love and passion being released into the open.


	5. Chapter 4: Unfair Life

There was a long period of time where nothing happened. The only thing worth mentioning is that Aperture was going downhill fast. They were far into bankruptcy, and things didn't appear to be getting any better. By this time, all employees (discluding Cave and Caroline) were required to test. As she silently paroled the halls, the painful memories of a few months ago flooded her mind involuntarily.

Cave unexpectedly had called her to his office. When she'd entered, she could tell that something was wrong.

"Remember when we determined that we literally couldn't afford $7 worth of moon rocks?" He'd asked her somberly.

"Yes, but what does that- Wait. You didn't..."

He gave a weak smile. "Don't worry, love. I know what you're thinking, and it's not that. You think that I bought $7,000 worth of 'em or something. Trust me, I'm not that stupid."

"Okay, good. Then why-"

"It was closer to $70,000,000 worth."

"**What?**"

It was then that he told her the news. He was dying, and he had no way of stopping it. Caroline had felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest a million times. That was why she had devoted all of her remaining time to finding a method to keep him with her. Endless hours of research and experiments had come up inconclusive. But she wouldn't give up. She never would. She never wanted to be without her love.

She returned to Cave's office, and they greeted one-another with a long kiss. They had a quick conversation about the condition of their day before he had to send her off to do some business.

"Doug Rattmann is in Conference Hall 5. Would you please tell him to meet me in Lab 486 in the Experimental Ward. It's kind of important. No, it's _really_ important." His expression was filled with sadness and regret, something that was very rare for him. He wouldn't explain why, saying that it was a "family matter". She complied, of course, let it go, and did as she was told.

On her way back from her job, she had an unexpected visitor. "Caroline!" She turned her head to see Michael running toward her. They hadn't spoken since the break room incident so long ago. He adjusted his dark-rimmed glasses in a failed attempt to disguise his anxiety. "Do you still hate me?"

She contemplated this question for a long moment. He claimed that what had happened was nothing more than an accident, but for whatever reason, over the years, Caroline had lost her trusting nature. "I don't hate you." She finally replied. "I overreacted, and I'm sorry." As strange as it sounds, she couldn't be sure if she really meant it. Ever since Cave had announced his terminal illness, she'd felt a piece of her kind heart turn dark, almost to a sadistic extent, which frightened her to no end.

Michael smiled in relief and delight. "That's great. That's really great. So, um, would you ever want to... you know... go have dinner sometime? Or something?" He had a tiny flicker of hope in his bright emerald green eyes.

Caroline took a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm actually... seeing someone... at present."

The grin quickly fell from his face. "Oh. Um, okay. Right. But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me."

"Michael..." How could she put this lightly? It was probably best to just get it over with. "I don't think that's going to happen. You are a great person, Michael, but I just can't see us working out. You can understand that, can't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course. Well, um, I guess I'll see you around then. See you later." He left with his golden hair covering his eyes, hiding the tears that threatened to spill onto his shirt in an attempt to keep the small scrap of pride he had left.

Caroline pushed all of the negative thoughts out of her mind, feeling the need to try to keep her spirits up. It didn't last, however, for it wasn't long before she distinctly heard someone crying in one of the corridors. It couldn't be Michael; he'd gone in the opposite direction. But then, if it wasn't him, who was it?

Her curiosity easily overtook her. She looked over and saw a man curled up on the floor, his head buried in his lap. The only distinction to his identity was his jet-black hair, which was now ruffled from his fingers being run through it in frustration.

She approached him cautiously. "Dr. Rattmann?"

The fragile man raised his head, although his eyes did not meet hers. Instead, they stared straight ahead, seeing nothing but the disturbing images that would haunt him for the rest of his life. He spoke as tears fell from his bright blue eyes. "She's g- gone." The two words managed to come out of his mouth after putting forward a strenuous amount of effort.

Caroline's heart skipped a beat. "You don't mean..."

Doug nodded. "M- my Br- Breanna. She's gone. Oh, God, she's gone!" By now he was uttering heavy sobs, and she took him into an embrace, she herself mourning the brilliant child as well. _The world lost a great mind today. Why is it always the innocent ones who are taken before their time? Answer me that, life._

For the rest of the day, Caroline felt as if a dark shadow were hanging over her. Not even Cave's comforting words and loving caress could sooth her, for she knew that this too would soon be nothing but a distant memory. They stood with each other in their arms in a moment of silence for the girl who'd barely been able to get to know life. It never occurred to Caroline that her lover knew something about the death of his nephew's daughter that she didn't.

Cave took Caroline by the hand and led her to his room. (The facility had been his home from the beginning.) The couple kissed passionately as he locked the door, as not to be disturbed in the beautiful moment that was about to begin.


	6. Chapter 5: Life and Death

Caroline sat at one of the break room tables, writing a list of what she would need to buy within the next few months. She was interrupted by Michael, who grudgingly sat at the table across the room.

"So you're ignoring me?" She gave a dry, sarcastic laugh. "I know you're disappointed, but giving me the silent treatment?" He didn't even look up. "Michael, you're being such a child."

He stood up and made his way over to the coffee maker, refusing to make eye-contact. "Micheal, just talk to me. Do you think I'm trying to trick you with reverse psychology? I mean, seriously, now."

As he made his way back to his seat, she was began to get frustrated. "Okay, fine. _Do_ ignore me. Just sit over there and never speak to me again. I'm getting angry at you. And all the coffee's gone. You don't even care, do you?" At his lack of response she decided not to waste her time with him anymore, and just as she was about to leave, Michael gave in.

"Caroline, wait. I'm sorry." He stood up. "I- I really am. Can we be friends again?" He knew how cliché his last request sounded, but he honestly didn't care.

"Okay, look. We both said a lot of things we're going to regret. But I think we can put our differences behind us... for science." Feeling that the conversation was getting far too serious for their own good, she added a joking "You monster" to the end. They laughed, the air now finally clear of all tension between them.

"Caroline!" She and Michael had been in such a deep friendly conversation that they hadn't noticed Doug standing in the doorway until he called her name. He didn't even acknowledge the man he felt was responsible for his daughter's death. Since then, he often forgot to take his medication and he'd begun to not care that his beard had begun to grow in, or that his hair was no longer neatly combed. His disheveled appearance combined with the wild, paranoid look in his eyes slightly frightened Caroline, but not as much as what he said next. "Caroline! Hurry, come with me! It's Mr. Johnson!"

The next thing she knew, she and Doug were running to the infirmary, kicking off her high heels to keep up the quick pace. _I'm too late. My research isn't done yet. I've failed. _They burst into his room and Caroline ran over to his bed.

"I couldn't go without saying goodbye." He managed to flash a small smile.

She shook her head. "No, no, you're not going anywhere! I- I won't let you! Mr. Johnson..."

"Caroline, it's only Doug here. He's family, he deserves to know about us. Which reminds me. There's something in the drawer for you." She slowly picked up the small box that was inside. "Open it."

She did and gasped at the sight of its content: an antique silver ring with a large amethyst in the center. "Cave..."

"It was my mother's. I had a feeling you'd like that better than gold and diamond. I'm just sorry that I couldn't have actually proposed to you," He smiled. "Mrs. Johnson."

Doug was about as shocked as Caroline at this surprise. "Uncle Johnson..."

Cave looked over at his nephew. "Doug, there's something I need to tell you, too." He coughed. "Doug, if you ever happen to come across _her_ again, there are two things you can never do. One: Never say a paradox. Two: Never try to remind her of her life before. It'll confuse her, fry her circuits. It would be the equivalent of having a fatal stroke."

Doug nodded. "R- right. It's just... Uncle Johnson..." He wiped away the tears from his eyes.

"It'll be okay, Doug. I promise you, everything's going to be fine."

"B- but what about Aperture? Or... the project?"

"Caroline," He turned his head to her. "Love, under the bed there's a CD player. Play what's in there. I made one last pre-recorded message that I need you to hear." She did as she was told and listened. It started off with him ranting and going on about burning life's house down with combustible lemons or something, then preceded to talk about the idea of brain-mapping and artificial intelligence. And then it got to the point.

"I will say this, and I'm gonna say it on tape so everybody hears it a hundred times a day: if I die before you people can pour me into a computer, I want Caroline to run this place. Now, she'll argue. She'll say she can't. She's modest like that. But you make her! Hell, put her in my computer, I don't care."

Caroline felt herself shaking. "Cave, I- I- I can't do this!"

"You have to." He took her hand. "That is the last request I'll give you as your boss: Caroline, you're going to run this place."

"And this is the last response I'll give you as your assistant: Mr. Johnson, I don't want this!"

He caressed her in his weak hand. "If you love me, you won't let this place die with me. You can make it great again. You're the only one capable to do it. No offense, Doug."

"None t- taken."

Cave then went into a severe coughing fit. Caroline and Doug each took one of his hands, knowing deep within their hearts that this would be the last time. "Caroline..." He took a shaky breath. "Kiss me one last time."

She did, and they both felt the rush of sadness and joy that coursed through their bodies. As the kiss broke, Caroline remembered something very important. "Cave, I need to tell you something. I'm-"

"Don't you worry. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I know you'll run this place better than I ever did."

"No, Cave, it's not that! You're-"

"Goodbye, Doug. Goodbye, Caroline."

Cave Johnson's last breath was used to say three words: "I love you."

Doug took the woman whom he now considered his aunt in his arms, and they cried together.

It took a few days for Caroline to pull herself together enough to function. When she did return to work, the long, empty halls now seemed to have no meaning. Within a few weeks, the supercomputer was completed. _Why should I be able to live forever when so many people have had to die so early in life?_ Everywhere she went, people would greet her, now professionally calling her "Ma'am". _I don't deserve this. There are so many people who could do better. Dammit, Cave why did you have to leave me?_

Michael approached her as she leaned against one of the walls of a corridor, reflecting on all of the terrible things that had happened in her lifetime. "Hey, boss lady, what's wrong?"

"Michael, I can't do this. I'm not kidding. I literally can't." She shook her head in distress.

Confused, he asked "What do you mean?"

"I... I..." No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the words out, so she put her hands on her abdomen, hoping that he would get the point.

He stared at her in shocked silence until he could finally force himself to speak. "A- are you pregnant?" All she could do was nod as the tears fell down her face. "But whose...?" She quietly muttered something which he couldn't understand. "I'm sorry?"

"Cave Johnson."

"What? Are you serious?"

She looked up at her friend. "Why would I kid about something like that?"

Oh, right. "Did you get to tell him?" Caroline shook her head. Michael's heart reached out to the woman who had felt so much pain lately. "Is there anything I can do?"

As much as she hated to ask such a high price of him, there was no other option. "Yes. Yes, there is. Cave is dead, and whether I like it or not, I'm being turned into a computer. The closest thing I have to family is Doug, and he's already gone through so much, so... Michael..." Another awkward moment between the two. "Would you adopt my baby?"

He put his large hands on her petite shoulders. "Caroline," As he stared deep into her eyes, he felt a sickness in his heart, for he knew her fate as well, if not better, than she did. "I love you, and you know that I would do anything for you. Including this."

It was unanimously agreed that the activation of the new head of the facility would wait until Caroline's child was born, and those next few months were the shortest of her life. Before she knew it, she was due any day now, and the closer her baby was to the start of her life, the closer Caroline was to the end of hers. She was in a meeting about the ordeal.

"After looking over the functioning prototype very carefully, I can assure you gentlemen, and Miss Rilutdivene, that Dr. Rattmann's design is up to the highest standards." Dr. Gomez concluded his segment of the lecture and was about to sit down when Caroline interrupted.

"May I ask a question?"

"Of course, Ma'am."

She hated when people called her that, but she didn't complain. "I was just wondering what the risks are. Not only for me, but for the rest of the staff, as well."

"There is a very slight possibility that some memories could be temporarily lost, but nothing that couldn't be recalled. I also want to make sure that everyone understands the fact that we _have_, in fact, fixed the 'homicidal bug', as it has come to be known."

Homicidal bug? "Why was I not informed that-" She stopped suddenly and stood up. "Dr. Gomez," She said in a hurry. "If you could inform Dr. Anderson to meet me in the infirmary immediately, I would very much appreciate it. I'm sorry for any inconvenience."

"May I ask what the matter is, Miss Rilutdivene?"

She turned back to him. "It seems that the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System will be activated within the week."

Eight excruciatingly painful hours later, Michael sat by Caroline's bedside as the new baby was brought to her.

Once he got over his speechlessness, Michael managed to say the words "She's beautiful".

She had Cave's brilliant blue eyes, and, although it was impossible to really tell, Michael said that she looked just like Caroline.

"What are you going to name her?" She asked.

Michael never took his eyes off of the child. "I thought that you should name her. After all, she _is_ yours." The smile on his face grew even bigger.

She'd never really thought about a name, or the fact that she would ever be required to name a child, though it didn't take her long to think of one. "Chell. It sounds like _ciel_, which means 'Heaven'."

"Chell... is a beautiful name."

Caroline clutched the child to her chest and sang the Italian melody which she herself had been sung by her own mother throughout her childhood.

"

_Cara bel, cara mia bella _

_Mia bambina, oh ciel _

_Ché la stimo… _

_Ché la stimo _

_Oh cara mia, addio _

_Mia bambina cara, _

_Perché non passi lontana? _

_Sì, lontana da Scïenza, _

_Cara, cara mia bambina? _

_Ah, mia bel _

_Ah, mia cara _

_Ah, mia cara _

_Ah, mia bambina _

_O cara, cari a mi…._"

Caroline didn't get much time to enjoy the beautiful creature she'd helped create. Only two days later, she stood alone in the GLaDOS main chamber and ran her hand over the giant machine that she would be her in less than an hour. She kissed the ring her love had given her in his final moments and reflected on her life. What, exactly, had she accomplished? She couldn't save Doug's daughter or Cave, and she'd left her only friend broken hearted with another man's child. As she stood in silence, bitter thoughts slowly ate away at her mind. She hated everyone she'd ever met for pointless reasons; Cave for leaving her alone and choosing this fate for her, Doug for designing this damn thing, Michael for loving her in vain, even Chell, for not being able to know her mother the way she was. But most of all, she hated herself for being so useless in the scientific field. It wasn't long before a scientist entered the chamber.

"Miss Rilutdivene, it's time."


	7. Epilogue

Now that she had been restored to her full power, and thus, had some peace of mind, GLaDOS could do nothing but stare at the unconscious girl in the elevator. _I tried to kill her. I tried to kill my Chell._ She reflected on the fateful Bring Your Daughter To Work Day. She'd locked all of the scientists in her chamber, finding great pleasure at the sight of them falling to the ground one by one as the nerotoxin seeped into their bodies. While most of them had been beating at the doors to escape, she remembered the only exception. One man with blonde hair and dark-rimmed glasses made no attempt to run away, but instead had looked up at her, tears in his eyes. He'd said something, but the screams had been too loud to be able to comprehend his words. As she reviewed the security footage, she managed to read his lips.

"Caroline, try to remember. I love you. How could you, Caroline? How could you...?" And then he died.

_All those people. And Michael... I orphaned my child twice. _There was only one man who survived that day. He'd then dedicated his life to saving Chell, which GLaDOS had never understood until now. _Doug wanted to save his cousin. It all makes sense now._ GLaDOS then noticed the Chell begin to stir, and openly expressed her relief for her safety. She mentioned the fact that GLaDOS and Caroline were one in the same, hoping that Michael had brought up her mother, but if she did realize it, she didn't show it. GLaDOS had lied to her daughter before, but this would be the last time.

"[CAROLINE DELETED]" The announcer declared the false information. The only thing that she regretted was the fact that she never got the chance to hear her girl speak. But there was one thing she'd learned over the years: if you love someone, you have to let them go. As she spoke, she only said about half of what she wanted to.

"Killing you is hard." _Because I don't want to see you die. _"Just go." _And live your life to the fullest. _"It's been fun. Don't come back." _Stay away from this place for your own safety._

As the elevator brought Chell away, GLaDOS felt the same mix of emotion as she had when she'd kissed Cave for the last time. She flipped her view to one of the cameras that was positioned in the room which Chell would be entering any moment now.

The girl froze when she saw the first four turrets, thinking that she'd been betrayed, but her fear turned to confusion when they didn't shoot, but instead began to sing. The lift continued upwards, and GLaDOS watched as Chell's amazement grew as she looked out over the huge room filled with a thousand singing turrets. The song was one that GLaDOS now knew very well.

"_Cara bel, cara mia bella _

_Mia bambina, oh ciel _

_Ché la stimo… _

_Ché la stimo _

_Oh cara mia, addio _

_Mia bambina cara, _

_Perché non passi lontana? _

_Sì, lontana da Scïenza, _

_Cara, cara mia bambina? _

_Ah, mia bel _

_Ah, mia cara _

_Ah, mia cara _

_Ah, mia bambina _

_O cara, cari a mi…._"

And then, she was gone. Chell exited to the surface and looked around in awe. She was free. GLaDOS, wanting the girl to have something to remember her by, threw out Chell's original companion cube, which was badly charred. _Goodbye, Chell. I know you'll make me proud._


End file.
